NHTSA Complaint #10915525 — 2007 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

MY TRUCK HAS DEVELOPED 2 LARGE CRACKS IN THE DASH, ONE OVER THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND THE OTHER SURROUNDING THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THE CRACKS DEVELOPED AROUND 30,000 MILES. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT, AND NOW WITH 55,000 MILES THE CRACKS ARE GETTING BIGGER AND MUCH WORSE. THE MAJOR CONCERN IS THE CRACK AROUND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. WITH THE DASH BEING THIS BRITTLE AND WEAK, WE ARE AFRAID OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOY. THE DASH APPEARS THAT IT MAY SHATTER INTO PIECES OR AT LEAST COME APART AND POTENTIALLY ALLOW SHARDS OF PLASTIC TO BE THROWN AROUND IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS ISSUE IS EFFECTING A LARGE AMOUNT OF THESE MODEL VEHICLES, SO THERE IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THE DESIGN. A NEW DESIGN FOR THE DASH SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AND THEN REPLACED IN OUR VEHICLES TO UNSURE OUR SAFETY, AND TO ADDRESS THE COSMETIC DEFECTS OF A VEHICLE WITH A PURCHASE PRICE WELL OVER $50,000. THE DEALER SAYS THAT GM IS NOT GOING TO HELP COVER THE COST, OR OFFER A REPLACEMENT PART FOR FREE AT LEAST. ALL THEY SAID WAS THEY COULD REPLACE IT FOR $1,300. THIS IS THE 2ND BIG ISSUE I HAVE HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE, RECENTLY WE HAD TO HAVE $2,500 IN ENGINE REPAIRS DONE DUE TO THE FAULTY DISPLACEMENT ON DEMAND SYSTEM IS THE THESE 5.3L ENGINES. ANOTHER COMMON FAILURE IN THESE VEHICLES THAT GM IS IGNORING.